Salt Marsh Greenhead

Salt Marsh Greenhead, Long Beach Island, NJ

This bug bit me! While swimming in a pool, this female Salt Marsh Greenhead bit my head. I was so upset, I swatted it into the pool and collected it in a recycled water bottle. I found out that this sucker can lay 100-200 eggs per blood meal and can live for 3 to 4 weeks.

I despise and hate this fly but as I walk out onto the top of the roof I can see it has a reason to despise me. Summer homes surround the salt marsh. This makes me appreciate the Cape Cod National Seashore. There are rows of houses between a sand dune and the beach. That doesn't seem right. If Hurricane Andrew hit lower Long Beach Island, every house would be destroyed similar to Watch Hill during the Hurricane of '38. When that happened, people never rebuilt their homes and now Rhode Island has Napatree point, a beautiful walking beach. I have a feeling that this area would be built up again. Too many people use this area for anyone to declare this "Long Beach Island National Seashore."

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